Fairmont mudslide cuts off about 500 campers in British Columbia, not far from fatal incident at Johnstons Landing

A second landslide in British Columbia, about 45 kilometres east of Johnsons Landing where four people are presumed dead following Thursday’s mudslide, has cut off about 500 people at an RV park.

The landslide occurred at about 4:30 p.m. Sunday in Fairmont Hot Springs in southeastern B.C. Police say no one is believed to be injured or to be missing.

However, the mudslide washed out the road to a local RV park, leaving campers stranded. Parts of Highway 93/95 were closed, but have since re-opened.

One person had to be airlifted via helicopter due to the slide.

The mudslide forced the evacuation of the Fairmont Mountainside Vacation Villas resort, along with four homes, and heavily damaged a local golf course.

“There’s never been an event like this in the history of Fairmont Hot Springs Resort, so no one had local knowledge, but there was this awareness,” spokesperson Marke Dickson told Postmedia.

Work on fixing the road to the RV camp began Sunday evening. Those trapped at the camp have food and water.

“It’s rugged camping that’s for sure,” Dickson said. “Fortunately we had some employees trapped on the RV park side and an off-duty RCMP officer.”

At least three homes were crushed by massive stream of mud and debris Thursday in Johnsons Landing. Rescue crews found the body of one man Sunday and said the search for three missing women was now being considered a recovery operation.

“As a result of the excavation and the work conducted…the remains of one male were recovered today from that site,” RCMP Cpl. Dan Moskaluk told The Canadian Press Sunday evening.

“The remains were found late this afternoon following a rapid and expansive disaster response.”

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Police have identified the missing as 17-year-old and 22-year-old sisters Rachel and Diana Webber, their 60-year-old father Valentine John Webber, and 64-year-old Petra Frehse, a German national.

“Throughout the week there has been reference to two possible locations for the remains. The search and rescue effort was concentrating on one residence that was identified as having the highest probability of finding the remains of the four individuals,” Moskaluk said of the search effort.

Officials said a man’s body was found near the foundation of a home that was swept away in the slide.

“Our condolences to the Webber family for their loss, and again we offer our support and condolences to the family of Petra Frehse,” Moskaluk said.

The B.C. Coroner’s Service has taken command of the scene and says the safety of the recovery team and a realistic chance of finding other victims are the two key issues.

Coroner’s spokeswoman Barb McLintock says an assessment is underway.

The B.C. Ministry of Forests said on the weekend that its received an email from a Johnsons Landing resident the morning of the slide.

The woman, who the ministry didn’t name, said she saw “surges of chocolate-coloured water that came down Gar Creek,” bringing down logs and debris and causing a jam.

“As soon as the log jam formed, gravel began to be deposited behind it,” she said. “The entire level of the creekbed has now been raised at least (1.8 metres) in that area.”

Hours after she sent the email, the landslide occurred.

Experts say the combination of snow melt and heavy June rains is the likely cause of the slides.

Rains hampered the search-and-rescue operation throughout the weekend.